If you’re a Pinterest addict, or simply in the loop on all methods of planning, then you’ve probably heard of the bullet journal. But what exactly IS a bullet journal? Well, it’s a to-do list/calendar/journal system created by Ryder Carroll. On his website, http://bulletjournal.com/, he describes it as “your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary” all in one–and it really is.
This is how the bullet journal system is broken down, to track everything you:
Source: https://www.tinyrayofsunshine.com/blog/bullet-journal-guide
Hundreds of people have done how-tos and beginner’s guides to bullet journaling, so I won’t waste your time with that. (In fact, here’s a really good video I once saw on the bullet journaling system!) However, I WILL say, in no particular order, my top five reasons why I bullet journal and have been since January 2016.
REASON ONE: ORGANIZATION
I’m someone who hates making the to-do lists I see on my mom’s kitchen table every day, but simultaneously cannot function without some sort of task tracker. This method involves a system to move items around, distinguish tasks from appointments, and just make you feel less guilty if you can’t complete all your objectives for the day (but still feel accomplished for filling in those squares and circles). My basic method that I use is a simple weekly spread with a bunch of little trackers (a habit tracker, events box, tracker for all my class readings, etc.). I also print out a monthly calendar and cut it to size so I can track when exams/papers are due and mark down important dates. Having all these different trackers and lists in one place is the best thing that’s happened to me, especially since they’re all kept near each other.
REASON TWO: CUSTOMIZABILITY
I’m about to give you some sage advice. Listening? Good: washi tape is a godsend. If you don’t know what it is, it’s decorated scotch tape, either made of paper or plastic (think scotch tape texture), and is reusable. So if you mess up and it’s not perfectly aligned, you can remove it and it’s still sticky and won’t mess up your plan or decorating. Thanks to the bullet journal community on Pinterest and YouTube, I saw how creative and colorful people get with their bujos (that’s shorthand for bullet journals), and that your lists and weekly spreads can be both pretty AND functional. And honestly? Seeing your list of tasks in beautiful colors surrounded by cute stickers and pretty tape and doodles REALLY motivates you to do your work.
REASON THREE: COLOR!
I’ll admit it: I have an obsession with stationery and school supplies. Whenever back to school season comes around, I get way more excited than I should and start staring at all the beautiful pens I know I’ll either never buy or stop using after a month (when I move onto the next obsessive pen brand). However, the bullet journal works marvelously with color and is easy to integrate a color-coding system (which is something that’s necessary for me). I finally have a reason to use those 50+ pens I have in different pencil cases and cups, and can make my spreads beautiful and eye-popping and just what I need to keep me going to get all my work done.
REASON FOUR: SPREADS
Other than the basic future log, monthly and weekly/daily spreads (which aren’t inherently all necessary), there are SO MANY spreads you can include in your bullet journal. I have a book tracker to keep myself on target for my Goodreads annual reading goals (it’s designed to look like a bookcase!), habit trackers to make sure I take my meds every day and keep myself hydrated, and a list of all the movies I want to watch. And that’s not even scratching the surface of what some people have in their bujos: weight loss trackers, spending reports, lists of all their usernames and passwords for accounts; you name it, someone’s probably made it (and made it look insanely gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing!)
REASON FIVE: FLEXIBILITY
As I said above, the method that I found works best for me is using a repeating monthly and weekly layout with a color code that I make every semester. I go against what Ryder Carroll made, and that’s fine! The bullet journal system is extremely customizable (the most flexible system I’ve seen for anything, honestly) and really boils down to doing what works best for you. There’s no set type of notebook, pen(s) or other tools to use, though the community has fan favorites that people typically gravitate towards. But if all you have is a 99-cent wide-ruled notebook and a ballpoint pen, that’s perfectly fine (I actually think my friend did that for a period of time).
I will always speak highly of the bullet journal system, and I’m so thankful for my best friend telling me about it during my winter break two years ago. It’s such a great system, integrating customizability with functionality and personalization. There’s literally no wrong way to make or use a bullet journal, and that’s why I think it’s perfect.
Now, here’s what you’ve all been waiting for: some examples of my bullet journal!
On the left is a list of writing prompts (with little check boxes to fill once I’ve used them)
On the right is my 2017 reading challenge for Goodreads–every book that’s colored in has been finished, and the thin red line is supposed to be a bookmark showing I’ve hit my goal.
This is a typical weekly spread, taken from mid-October.
This is the monthly calendar I use, which folds up so it only takes up one page when closed.
This is the movies to watch spread I recently made.